Council of Mosques, in partnership with the Association of Islamic Teachers, successfully delivered a Safeguarding, Security and Community Protection in Faith Settings training event on Thursday 9 July 2026, attended by over 60 Imams and madrasah teachers from across the borough.

The event began with Bola Osundun, Children’s Interfaith Safeguarding Co-ordinator at LBTH, who delivered a comprehensive safeguarding session covering safeguarding responsibilities in mosques and madrasahs, recognising and responding to concerns, and recent developments and good practice.

Detective Superintendent Oliver Richter and Inspector Frank Hartley then led a session on community tensions, discussing current local issues and the early identification of risks affecting young people, along with local trends and statistics to help faith leaders better understand and respond to emerging challenges within their communities.

This was followed by Tom Llewellyn-Jones, Prevent Hate Crime and Protective Security Programme Manager at LBTH, who presented on hate crime awareness and reporting — covering hate crime and Islamophobia, reporting mechanisms and support services, and how faith leaders can support victims and strengthen community resilience.

The event concluded with Shaukat Warraich, who delivered a practical session on mosque security and protective measures, covering current security risks affecting places of worship, practical security measures, and incident reporting and emergency response planning.

The training was well received, providing attendees with valuable knowledge and practical guidance while strengthening links between faith leaders, Council of Mosques, the Association of Islamic Teachers and local partner agencies — helping to ensure that mosques and madrasahs remain safe, secure and welcoming places for all.